Hardware & robotics · Onshore field guide
What does a hardware team need to budget for its first facility?
Budget in three parts: recurring occupancy costs, cash required before moving in, and the time needed to make the space operational. Ask for each amount and its due date. Keep unquoted costs open until you have evidence; missing expenses are not zero.
Build the recurring monthly number
Start with monthly base rent for the specific unit. Add the operating expenses charged under the proposed lease, utilities, internet, insurance, and any recurring services your team needs. Ask what is included, what is estimated, and what can change.
For a monthly per-square-foot rate, multiply by the quoted rentable area. For an annual rate, divide the product by twelve. Onshore marks these calculated figures as computed. A calculated base rent is not a quote for total occupancy cost.
Separate cash to move in from ongoing cost
| Budget item | Get an answer to | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Deposits and prepaid rent | What is due at signing, and what is refundable or credited? | Amount, due date, and treatment under the lease. |
| Design, permits, and professional work | Which services are needed for this operation? | Written scope, estimate, and responsibility. |
| Space and utility improvements | What must change, and who pays? | Scope, quote, approvals, and schedule. |
| Equipment installation and moving | How does equipment reach and connect in the unit? | Delivery, rigging, installation, and commissioning estimates. |
| Overlap and contingency | What happens if the new space is delayed? | An explicit planning allowance, separate from quoted costs. |
Map the path from signature to operation
Write down the dependencies: access to the unit, design, approvals, landlord work, utility work, equipment delivery, installation, and any required inspections. Confirm who owns each step and which dates are commitments versus estimates.
Compare the date rent begins with the date the space can support your operation. Ask what happens if work is delayed, and have the agreed responsibilities reflected in the lease documents. Listed availability by itself does not establish an operating date.
Compare real listings with the same worksheet
Our five-space comparison links monthly asking rents to published power, loading, and the unresolved questions. Use the same cost categories for each candidate so an inexpensive headline rate does not hide a large improvement requirement.
Where a landlord offers an improvement contribution, confirm eligible work, payment timing, and documentation. A reimbursement after completion does not remove the cash needed to fund work before reimbursement.
Bring the budget into the search
Share both the monthly budget and the upfront cash limit with Sam. Add the date you need to operate and the equipment that drives the fit. That gives the search a useful constraint before tours begin.
Put the requirements against real spaces.
Compare five industrial spaces, or start your search with Sam.